A. Field of Invention
Embodiments may generally relate to devices for assisting elderly and/or disabled persons to ambulate.
B. Description of the Related Art
Various devices for assisting elderly and disabled persons in moving about are known in the art. However, known devices have a number of shortcomings. For example, some devices are only suitable for being pulled, which is not helpful for an individual ascending stairs or stepping up through an elevated doorway in part because they would need to be inconveniently positioned in front of the user. Furthermore, a disabled or elderly person may not have suitable upper body strength and/or shoulder joint health to effectively use a pull-type device. Thus, a device designed to bear a vertical load rather than a tension load would be preferable. Devices for bearing vertical loads are known; however, existing devices are not suitable for use in doorways and stairwells because they tend to obstruct walkways.
Furthermore, in a darkened or low-light environment existing devices may be difficult to see and users may have difficulty finding the device and/or may tend to inadvertently bump into the device causing injury. Elderly individuals and people suffering from diseases such as diabetes may have an impaired ability to heal such injuries, thus elevating the importance of a device which is unobstructive and easy to see.
What is needed is a device which is able to bear vertical loads while not impeding a person's ability to walk. Some embodiments of the present invention may provide one or more benefits or advantages over the prior art.